Retort



Och-"13, 1925- 1,556,894

w. H. ALCORN RETORT Filed June 2 1923 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a. 13, 1925.

WILLIAM H. ALCORN, OF PORTSEIOUTH, OHIO.

RETORT.

Application filed June 20, 1923. Serial No. 646,659.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. ALooRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Sciotoand State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Retort, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a retort designed as steam jackets can be used for the purposeof maintaining high temperature in the retort unit.

A further object is to provide a structure outside of the walls of the retort for supporting the bearings of the rotatable part so that they will not be displaced or otherwise afi'ected by expansion or contraction of the walls of the retort.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is'a central vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line- 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1. Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the brick walls of the retort housing a furnaceportion 2 and a series of superposed retort units. Each of these units includes a cylinder 3 the ends of which are fixedly mounted in the walls. Those portions of the cylinders arranged within the retort are surrounded by casings 4 forming steam jackets. The steam jackets abut against opposed walls of the retort and are concentric with and completely surround the cylinders. The several steam jackets are connected in series by pipes 5, steam being admitted to the lower acket by pipes 6 and being exhausted from the upper jacket by a pipe 7.

Each of the cylinders 3 has a central bean mg 8 projecting outwardly from eachend at the center and journaled in these bearings are shafts 9. suitably packed as shown at 10. The ends of the shafts are mounted for rotation in bearings 11 carried by a structural steel frame 12. Sprockets 13 are carried by the shafts and are engaged by chains 14 whereby all of the shafts can be rotated simultaneously.

Opening into one end portion of the upper cylinder 3 is a steam pipe or chute adapted to be connected to the bottom of a hopper or the like containing crushed shale. pipe or chute. 15 has a rotary valve 16 therein for controlling the flow of material into the upper cylinder. The valve can be rotated by any suitable mechanism provided for that purpose, the said valve being carried b a shaftv 17 that projects laterally beyon the retort wall. I

Secured to each of the shafts 9 within the cylinders 3 is a series of'agitating blades 18. Each of these blades has its end portions twisted as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, the blades being so shaped and assemof a cylinder will be propelled by the rotating blades toward the other end of the cylinder. Each blade 18 has a central transverse recess 19 for the reception of a portion of,

ened readily and can be adjusted along thev This . bled that the material dropped into one end 7 shafts so as to secure the blades thereto at the desired distances apart.

Arranged adjacent to one wall of the re tortis a header or condensing pipe 21 and this pipe communicates withthe respective cylinders 3 through pipes 22. These pipes extend from the'upper portions of the cylinders at one end thereof where vapors generated within the cylinders can flow freely into the pipes.

Stacks 23 extend upwardly from and open through the shafts of the retort structure and have dampers 24 for controlling the fiow of gases. Hot products of combustion are ada ted to leave the retort by way of the stac s after circulating around and between the jackets 4 on the cylinders 3.

Extending downwardly from that end of the uppermost cylinder farthest removed from the chute 15 is a delivering port 25 that opens downwardly into the top portion of the next cylinder thereunder. This second 0 linder is provided in the lower portion thereof at its other end with an outlet port 26 opening downwardly into the top of the next adjoining cylinder. A port- 27 connects the two lower cylinders at one end and an outlet chute 28 projects downwardly from one end of the lower cylinder as shown. The ports within opposed walls of the retort serve to maintain communication between adjoining cylinders, as will be obvious.

After the shafts have been set in motion, and fuel has been ignited in the furnace portion 2 of the retort the material to be treated is allowed to flow through the chute 15 into theupper cylinder 3. It will be forced by the rotating blades 18 toward the other end of said cylinder where it will gravitate into the second cylinder. The blades in this second cylinder will direct the material toward the other end thereof.

There the material will flow downwardly through port 26. This travel of the material back and forth ,through the cylinders will continue until the lowermost cylinder is reached. at which time the residue is delivered through the chute 28. While passing through the cylinders the material is subjected to an intense heat from the ignited fuel, and also from the steam jackets 4. This heat is suflicient to drive hydro-carbon oils from the shale or other material bein treated so that they will pass outwar ly through the pipes 22 and into the pipe 21.

Pipe 21 can be provided with a water jacket 29 having inlet and outlet pipes 30 so that the vaporized lay-products delivered in the pipe 21 will be condensed and can then be drawn off from the bottom of said ipe.

What is claimed is In a retort the combination with masonry walls. forming a furnace structure, of stationary superposed cylinders extending through opposed walls and across the interior of'the retort, ports within opposed walls of the retort for maintaining communication between adjoining cylinders, the inlet and outlet of each cylinder being located adjacent the respective ends of the cylinder, said inlets and outlets being formed by the respective ports, steam jackets abutting against opposed walls of the retort and concentric with and completely surrounding the cylinders, a steam pipe connecting the jackets, propelling blades mounted for rotation within each of the cylinders, means for simultaneously rotating the blades for forcingmaterial in the cylinders from the inlet to the outlet ports, a fuel supporting grate in the lower portion of the retort below all of the steam jackets, a condensing header, a water jacket thereon, and pipes connecting the condenser with one end of each of the cylinders, all of the steam jackets being exposed to heat generated within the retort.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM H. ALCORN. 

